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Mt. Cheaha Daytrip

I celebrated MLK's birthday by going with some buddies up to Mount Cheaha, the highest point in Alabama (impressive, i know ). It's not the Rockies by any means, but it is home to some amazing views and a few good climbing routes.

After we arrived, we did a little exploring around the Rock Garden area, (possibly my favorite area in the park) and got in a little bouldering before lunch. We pulled out our hammocks and set up for lunch, sausage and a couple of hard-boiled eggs for me.

view from my hammock, along with the lovely brown tarp windscreen:
Gotta have my Sanucks

After lunch, we broke out the crash pads and did some more bouldering; there are a couple of great ceilings and traverses. We didn't bring our climbing gear but there are a few pretty challenging routes as well as some easy, but still fun ones. After we were all worn out we hiked back around to a precipice overlooking the lake and enjoyed some hot tea. I used a popcan stove based on the Mark Jurrey design, along with a tin foil windscreen and rock pot stands. The outside air temp. was in the low 40's and the water I gathered from the stream was freezing cold, but the stove had it boiling in just under 10 min. which I don't think is to bad.

Mountain Stream (read slightly more than a rivulet):

Popcan Stove and Tea:

Sadly, it was then time to go, but God had an amazing piece of artwork for us to see first:

The picture really doesn't do it justice, the myriad of oranges, reds, and other colors was nothing short of spectacular.

Thanks for the report! I love Cheaha, and have spent lots of nights on the Pinhoti---Thanks for the pictures!

FYI: If you want to know what type a certain bear is, sneak up behind it and kick it. Then,
run like crazy and climb up a tree. If the bear climbs the tree and eats you, it's a black
bear. If the bear just pushes the tree over and eats you, it's a grizzly bear : )

Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either, just leave me alone.
--unknown